International Business News - Ahead http://www.ibtimes.com All articles are copyrighted by IBTimes.com 400 100 http://www.ibtimes.com/ http://www.ibtimes.com/images/top_logo_ibt2_3.gif Shares of big drug makers fell Friday after a Citi Investment Research gave "Hold" ratings to most of the sector, assigning a top rating only to Merck & Co. and saying Pfizer may need to consider a breakup. http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/20080718/ahead-of-the-bell-pharmaceuticals.htm Fri, 18 Jul 2008 13:54:53 EDT A JPMorgan analyst on Friday upgraded shares of United Airlines' parent UAL Corp. all the way to "Overweight" from "Underweight," suggesting investors buy up shares before an expected capital plan is announced next week. http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/20080718/ahead-of-the-bell-united-airlines.htm Fri, 18 Jul 2008 09:19:50 EDT Shares of Google Inc. hovered below $500 in pre-market trading Friday after the company jolted investors with the admission that the weak economy is affecting its advertising business. http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/20080718/ahead-of-the-bell-google-below-500-after-report.htm Fri, 18 Jul 2008 09:02:24 EDT Microsoft Corp. shares were recovering slightly in Friday morning trading after taking a battering the night before on the heels of a disappointing earnings report. http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/20080718/ahead-of-the-bell-analysts-say-microsoft-is-cheap.htm Fri, 18 Jul 2008 08:48:25 EDT An analyst upgraded shares of Yum Brands Inc. on Friday, and said shares of the fast-food operator's are attractively priced after they slid following the company's second-quarter report. http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/20080718/ahead-of-the-bell-yum-brands-upgraded-at-wachovia.htm Fri, 18 Jul 2008 08:47:27 EDT A JPMorgan analyst on Friday lifted his rating on shares of Werner Enterprises Inc. to "Neutral" from "Underweight," citing the trucking company's improving fuel efficiency and capacity utilization along with better expected pricing across the sector. http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/20080718/ahead-of-the-bell-werner-enterprises.htm Fri, 18 Jul 2008 08:31:50 EDT Major business events and economic events scheduled for Friday: NEW YORK--Citigroup Inc. releases second-quarter financial results. http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/20080717/calendar-of-major-business-events-for-friday.htm Thu, 17 Jul 2008 12:13:36 EDT Shares of generic drug maker Barr Pharmaceuticals Inc. surged to a nearly two-year high on Thursday as media reports indicated the company is in talks to be bought out by Israeli rival Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/20080717/ahead-of-the-bell-barr-climbs-on-buyout-reports.htm Thu, 17 Jul 2008 15:06:27 EDT An analyst downgraded Starbucks Corp. on Thursday, saying the coffee retailer's turnaround will likely take longer than previously expected. PiperJaffray analyst Nicole Miller Regan said in a note to investors Thursday that the benefit of the company's turnaround plan announced earlier this month, which involves closing 600 stores, will not be noticeable when the company reports fiscal third-quarter results on July 30. http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/20080717/ahead-of-the-bell-starbucks-downgraded.htm Thu, 17 Jul 2008 08:21:56 EDT Government data due out Thursday is expected to show that initial claims for unemployment benefits rose last week after dropping in the prior week. Wall Street economists surveyed by Briefing.com forecast that claims rose to a seasonally adjusted 380,000 for the week that ended July 12. The Labor Department is scheduled to release the data at 8:30 a.m. EDT. http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/20080717/ahead-of-the-bell-jobless-claims-to-rise.htm Thu, 17 Jul 2008 05:53:07 EDT A government report on new home construction and building permit applications for June is forecast to show declines as builders scrapped development plans amid the ongoing housing slump. http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/20080717/ahead-of-the-bell-housing-starts.htm Thu, 17 Jul 2008 05:52:15 EDT Wall Street economists expect the Philadelphia Federal Reserve Bank's July manufacturing index to show declining economic activity for the eighth consecutive month. http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/20080717/ahead-of-the-bell-philly-fed-index.htm Thu, 17 Jul 2008 05:52:01 EDT Major business events and economic events scheduled for Thursday: WASHINGTON--Commerce Department reports on housing starts for June, 8:30 a.m. http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/20080716/calendar-of-major-business-events-for-thursday.htm Wed, 16 Jul 2008 15:09:58 EDT Walgreen Co. management is "finally starting to align corporate strategy with the key drivers of stock price performance," according to Credit Suisse analyst Edward J. Kelly. http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/20080716/ahead-of-the-bell-credit-suisse-upgrades-walgreen.htm Wed, 16 Jul 2008 09:30:02 EDT Despite a softening U.S. economy, VF Corp. is poised for more growth because of strong brands and distribution opportunities, an analyst said, following the apparel manufacturer's better-than-expected quarterly profit. http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/20080716/ahead-of-the-bell-vf-corp.htm Wed, 16 Jul 2008 08:59:03 EDT A Thomas Weisel analyst upgraded shares of ViroPharma Inc. Wednesday, saying the company has gained a key drug candidate in its buyout of Lev Pharmaceuticals. http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/20080716/ahead-of-the-bell-viropharma-upgraded.htm Wed, 16 Jul 2008 08:29:32 EDT Government data due out Wednesday is expected to show that consumer prices in June rose at a faster rate than the prior month due mainly to surging energy costs. http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/20080716/ahead-of-the-bell-consumer-price-index.htm Wed, 16 Jul 2008 05:58:37 EDT A reading of housing developers' sentiment about the U.S. market is expected to remain at its all-time low in July. The National Association of Home Builders/Wells Fargo housing market index for the month is scheduled to be released Wednesday at 1 p.m. EDT. http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/20080716/ahead-of-the-bell-builder-sentiment.htm Wed, 16 Jul 2008 05:58:27 EDT Industry data to be released Wednesday will show whether home loan applications fell as mortgage rates ticked up slightly. The Mortgage Bankers Association is scheduled to report its index of mortgage application volume for the week ended July 11 at 7 a.m. EDT. http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/20080716/ahead-of-the-bell-mortgage-applications.htm Wed, 16 Jul 2008 05:58:16 EDT Major business events and economic events scheduled for Wednesday: WASHINGTON--Federal Reserve releases minutes from its June meeting, with economic projections. 2 p.m. http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/20080715/calendar-of-major-business-events-for-wednesday.htm Tue, 15 Jul 2008 12:29:38 EDT